Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Check out the interview below with Zipper's Seth Luisi, there's some great footage of the "pre alpha" build of Confrontation. Luisi talks about the direction Slant Six & Zipper wanted to go with this "next gen " Socom. He also talks about the planned monthly updates & quarterly updates, if they're anything like the "updates" Zipper gave us back in the SI, SII days we won't be getting anything. I am on the fence with the DLC, on the one hand if we get a full game experience from day one and the DLC is a worthwhile "expansion" to the core game then fine. But if we get a fraction of a game and the DLC is part of the game that wasn't ready at launch and cost's the same or close to the lauch product then that's taking advantage of the Socom community. Time will tell.

I picked my copy of GTA IV today, I'd be playing right now if it wasn't for work. I actually forgot that today was the 29Th, good thing I noticed a couple friends playing it when I logged off CoD4 today. Unfortunately I only got to play for two hours, and it was the fastest two hours in my life....time flies when you're having fun! I honestly wanted to go straight online but believe it or not I was totally engulfed in the story. From the little I've played so far I'm sold, Rockstar has truly made another amazing game for their flagship franchise.On a side note, while waiting on line in Best Buy today there was a lady in front of me buying GTA IV, it was definitely NOT for her, and I'm guessing she was buying it for her son who, I'm assuming was unable to get to Best Buy on his own because he was:A) Still in school because it was 1 in the afternoonB) Too young to buy it himself

I cannot wait to read the news in the coming days of outraged parents, politicians and the Jack Thompson's out there black balling this game.A friend of mine came up with a great suggestion, take that government rebate check we'll be getting soon and go buy GTA IV! Then in essence the tools in our government that stir up the ridiculous controversy about this series will be funding it!I'll share further impressions and have my final review in a few weeks, after I really sink my teeth into this game!For further info about Liberty City, people to meet & places to visit check out:http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

It was a busy weekend for me with the CoD4 map pack launch, my Rock Band gig at Ghostboys place on Saturday and Sunday and GTA IV today but I squeezed in a little time for the MGO beta.I had MGS: Subsistence but never got around to going online with it, as I was wrapped up with Socom III at the time. MGO shares one thing in common with Socom, they're both 3rd person shooters....and that's where the comparisons end. After the debacle that was creating a Konami ID + a game ID + down loading an update via P2P that took over 3 hrs I finally completed all the prerequisites, or so I thought. I started up the beta to discover another update that needed to be DL'd, fortunately this one took a fraction of the time as there were enought seeders on this time around!So now all downloads and ID's were complete I entered the beta! First things first....make a player ID!!!???? OMG are you serious!? OK that done next was character profile creation time, this was cool, and there was enough variables to have plenty of unique players in MGO. Choose a head, there were about six to choose from, then body, you could customize your voice too. Gear was next, head, body, legs and foot wear. After you've created your avatar, you had to choose a weapon type to specialize in ie assault, sniper, shotgun, etc. Finally there was a list of special abilities to choose from, you had to pick four and those would level up much like any RPG as you played.The lobby system was similar to Socom there were around five servers available to go into and within each were public and private rooms with one of two different game play types available, TDM or FFA. So far so good, I joined an open free for all room and it filled up fast, once the game launched you are prompted to choose a primary, secondary and grenade before going in.At this point I was anxious to get my kill on...maybe I'm used to the speed of CoD4 but once I spawned in the game I felt like I was wading thru a swamp! The speed that the characters move at is way too slow, I played a few more games, tried the "man cannon" which was fun the first time, the maps are large and well designed but too many times I found myself trying to find someone to kill, the rounds were over before I ever fired a shot, this is most likely set by the host of the room. The mics were so low I ended up playing sans a headset, but I can see that with a team using headsets this game would play more tactically than Call of Duty 4. I really think the majority of people who will play MGO are diehard fans of the series. I am yet I really had a hard time enjoying this due to the super slow pace. I will need to play a bit more to see if MGO has host migration...a feature COD4 is sorely lacking!The speed of MGO is a major downer for me, but I'll give it another try and report back

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Another Capcom title coming to the PlayStation store this summer is Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, or SSFIITHDR. To say I "super" excited for this title is an understatement!Game Description: One of the most popular games of the early '90s is reborn! Super Street Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix, originally developed by Capcom® for the arcade, makes its downloadable debut on the Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PLAYSTATION®Network. Capcom will maintain the integrity of the popular game by utilizing the original game code while upgrading the graphics with new artwork and high resolution 1080p images. Again, all of the art, from character animation to stage backgrounds, will be completely redrawn by Udon Entertainment, the company responsible for the US Street Fighter series of comics. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will include both online and offline competition for one or two players.

Features:

All new 1080p high-definition art for Street Fighter characters and backgrounds created by Udon Entertainment, creators of the Street Fighter comic books

Features all 17 of the original Super Street Fighter® II Turbo characters including Ryu, Guile, M. Bison and Akuma

New optional "Rebalanced" Mode: massive changes across the board to all Street Fighter characters as created and tested by some the world’s top-ranked professional Street Fighter players

One to two player head-to-head play either offline or online

Single player vs. CPU

Player vs. player over the same console

Player vs. player online

Training mode helps fighters hone their skills

Improved network code for the best possible online fighting game experience

Numerous online features:

In-game voice chatting between players

Matchmaking flexibility through multiple options

Personal and friends statistics tracking

Quarter Match Mode - this spectator-based system allows online competitors (2 competitors and up to 4 spectators) to use a "virtual quarter" to "buy into" heated two player matches

Comprehensive worldwide rankings and leader boards by character - tracks overall wins and losses, number of throws, perfects, highest combos and more

Widescreen support with option to select classic 4:3 mode for SF purists

I gonna mod my PS3 with a flux capacitor and rock it with 1.21 gigawatts of power and bring us back to 1984, when scrolling shooters were a dime a dozen. I had 1942 for my NES and a friend and I spent the better part of a day cooperatively shooting enemy planes out of the sky. The pseudo WWII setting was cool and the old school planes were fun to "fly".

This summer Capcom is bringing 1942 back with the help of Backbone ent. in a new 1080 p version of the classic!

1942: Joint Strike takes inspiration and influence from the '80s 194X's series of Capcom vertical arcade shooters. The art, sound and gameplay give the player hints of the 194X series, but will standout as it’s own unique entry. Gameplay will essentially be 2D, but the game will utilize a fully 3D engine.

The game takes place during a seemingly WWII like era. Locales, vehicles and weapons have the look and feel of WWII with some stylistic differences. The world in which 1942: Joint Strike takes place is not our own and the events that transpire are not historically accurate nor are they intended to be. This is a world alternate to ours where history and technology developed along its own path.

Just a friendly reminder that the Call of Duty 4 map pack will be on the Play Station Store on 4/24/08....which is just under 2 hours from now if you live on the east coast. Also there will be a PS3 Variety Map Pack Double XP Weekend Extravaganza! Enjoy Double XP all weekend for both continents from 12:01 AM GMT on Friday, April 25th to 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday, April 27th. We are also making Friday, April 25th a “Play with the Devs” day. The Infinity Ward team will be playing online on Friday, April 25th from 11AM to 2PM PDT and from 5 PM to 8 PM PDT. For us on the east coast that's2PM-5PM EST and 8PM-11PM EST.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

With so many franchises going multi platform, getting an exclusive title is rare these days. So when one comes around for the PS3 support it! I don't think Kojima productions is too worried about sales, but Namco/Bandai is bringing us a game based on the enormously popular anime/manga Naruto. I love the series, even my wife enjoys it, check out my review of Naruto Ultimate Ninja for the PS2... http://willsfreeswim.blogspot.com/2007/11/being-fan-of-show-i-couldnt-pass-this.html

The trailer boasts some impressive visuals and continues the games cell shaded tradition.I enjoyed the first NUN game but I would prefer a more tradition fighting engine and I hope that the game goes online like the up coming SSFIITHDR.Enjoy the trailer, and drop me a line if you're a fan of Naruto!

Monday, April 14, 2008

I preordered MGS4 back in March, and on April 2nd I got the call! My Metal Gear Saga disk & MGO beta key had come in! The disk that comes with the beta key code has an intriguing journalistic retrosective about the Metal Gear Saga. Focusing on Solid Snake, it is a fascinating look at the series from the series humble beginings. The Narrator tells the tale in the correct chronological order begining with MGS3: Snake Eater, then Metal Gear, Metal Gear II: Solid Snake, MGS1, and concluding with MGS2: Sons of Liberty.With the launch date for MGS4 creeping ever closer I can't wait to play as Old Snake and see if my hunch is correct! When MGS4 was first announced and the environment was announced I predicted a return to Outer Heaven...I was close enough!I predict Solid Snake will come face to face with Big Boss who is still alive! Big Boss will tell Solid Snake EVERYTHING and he will be killed by Liquid Ocelot, Solid Snake will kill Liquid Ocelot and at the end decide to live.....and not take his own life like the trailers suggest. We'll find out soon enough!Wow I got off track, we're talking about Metal Gear Online (MGO) well the beta begins April 21st and the key code's must be entered day after tommorow. I'll be playing MGO with members of my clan, the Kontract Killaz so I'll see you on the battle field!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Well I just finished reading the cover story for the may issue of EGM and I'm excited, I've been following the progress of Socom C for over a year now and it sounds like the game is pretty close to beta. The article actually mentions on page 67 that a private beta is in the works and a few hundred socom fans will be invited!

So how can you get a chance to participate in the beta? Well for one head on over to http://socom.us.playstation.com/and register! That's gonna be SOCOM HDQ, from there clan management can be set up and adjusted; such as schedules, roster, news, and recruiting can be acomplished via that site....if your clan doesn't have their own site already.

For example, every player begins inthe game with two characters:a commando and a mercenary. Both of thesecharacters can be customized withdifferent weapon loadouts, outfits, andgear....but you won't get access to thefull range of customization optionswithout taking the next step. There will besix special forces available inthe initial release, but you can only play asone of the special forcescharacters if you are in a clan. This basicallyupgrades your commando/ mercinto one of thefollowing:

US Sea Air & Land (SEAL)

UK Special Air Service (SAS)

GER Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK)

SPN Unidad de Operaciones (UOE)

FRN Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN)

ITL Commando Raggruppamento Subacquei ed Incursori Teseo (COMSUBIN)

This is an incentive to join a clan!

Access to these special forces allows players to have different equipmentitems-camo patterns, helmets etc. Also each special force team will have afewunique weapons specific to the special forces.The clan leader can choosewhichspecial forces unit the clan will play as and he/she has access toadditionalcustomization features such as special camo patterns and claninsignias.

The EGM article tries to stress that SOCOM C's changes aren't revolutionary, rather evolutionary. The changes / additions are meant to enhance the gameplay foundation set by SOCOM I & II, there are going to be seven maps available in the initial launch all based on the N. Africa part of the world. SOCOM C is being developed on a modular system so there will be DLC in the future, in fact Sony is looking to have small DLC packages avail each month or so and one large DLC package each quarter. I would love it if SOCOM had holiday/seasonal specific content! How fun would it be to run around in a easter bunny costume like the one Ralphie had in a Christmas Story!

I'm also glad to see vehicles are a thing of the past, the maps for SOCOM C will be a little over twice the size of SOCOM I's maps and in order to cover the distance players can run (see sprint in CoD4) and just like Call of Duty4 MW you will not be able to shoot while running, watch the sniper fight in Full Metal Jacket to understand what the run function is for. If you are pinned down by a sniper throw a nade or smoke to create a cloud of debris and run to the next point of cover...running from one end of a street to the other is your goal, you won't be sucessful!

Speaking of grenades the article talks a bit about "physics-based" grenades, meaning they 'll bounce and roll based on inertia. And player can opt to roll a nade instead of chucking one along the arc in the sky.

Since the maps are about twice the size of SOCOM I the matches will be set for 32 players, but can be customized for the traditional 16, which will automatically reset the map size.

SOCOM C will have a new OTS camera angle to coinside with the 16:9 aspect ratio, but for SOCOM purists the tradional camera angle will also be available in the customizations.

SOCOM C will have 7.1 surround sound support which will heighten the senses, fire fights will have dramatic differences in sound when heard inside or outside and distance as well as objects between you and where the shots are coming from. So if you still play with just the speakers on your TV you're going to miss out on one of the dramatic aspects of Confrontation.

On a similar note SOCOM C will allow members of the same clan on a team to communicate via an open mic. If there are other players on your team that aren't in your clan you'll still be able to communicate with them via the traditional L2 button. Once your party is together they'll stick together even if you switch rooms or lobbies. Lobby's weren't really touched on but I hope it is similar to S2's lobby system, I personally like it over S3.

Socom Confrontation will be available for DL on the PSN this summer or you can purchase the game at retail and it will be packaged along with a BT headset, not the same one as Warhawk....better.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Keeping with the theme of battling franchises I present an amazing flash video made by Proxicide.

This popular flash video is a dream come true for all those who are fans of boththe Capcom's Street Fighter series, as well as Midway's Mortal Kombat series.This flash video shows a dramatic fight between Ken Vs Raiden.

Yuna & Rikku (FFX) battle it out against Kasumi and Ayane (DOA) ! Produced by Monte Oum this this just pure visceral overload. Special guests Tifa Lockheart and Tina Armstrong show up to assist their franchise comradesses.

The battle rages on outside the temple in Dead Fantasy II! If you thought episode I was amazing prepare to be totally blown away! And new allies come to the aid of both sides....GO FINAL FANTASY! Yuna needs to summon Bahamut in III!